


Under the Pomegranate Tree

by RukiaG



Series: In every reality: Shallura AU one-shots [2]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Greek Mythology, F/M, Greek Mythology - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-21
Updated: 2018-04-21
Packaged: 2019-04-25 22:27:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,370
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14388393
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RukiaG/pseuds/RukiaG
Summary: Allura, daughter of the God of Light and the Goddess of Harvest, finds the entrance of the Underworld, and decides to visit the realm of the dead.





	Under the Pomegranate Tree

**Author's Note:**

> A self-indulgent shallura mythology AU based on the myth of Hades and Persephone, to celebrate that I’ve been writing Voltron fanfics for a year! I hope you like it!

Not even the juniberries, the most exquisite flower of all, that only grow at the Gods’ home in Altea, could compare in beauty and grace to Princess Allura, daughter of the God of Light and the Goddess of Harvest. She had the thriving beauty of her mother, and the sharp mind and powerful magic of her father. Many suitors tried to win her favour, both Gods and mortals, but all of them were turned down.

One day, Allura was wandering through a forest in the mortal world, when she happened upon the entrance of a cave. It went deep into the bowels of the earth, and when Allura looked into it, a feeble breeze caressed her cheeks, cold as a death rattle, and she shuddered.

Behind her, the sun shone, and nature blossomed with the countless colours of an eternal spring, but something in the vast void in front of her was beckoning her, tempting her to abandon the safety of the surface and go into the deep darkness of the underground.

After a last glance at the sky, Allura descended the cave.

She walked for what could have been days, down, down into the darkness, until she reached a limitless field shrouded in mist. Shapeless wraiths creeped almost beyond her sight, and before she could reach to them, a deafening roar echoed through the field. A gigantic lion stepped out of the mist, fur as black as night, each of its three heads crowned by a thick mane with white and purple streaks.

The lion growled at her, but Allura wasn’t scared. She stood, firm and fearless, in front of the beast, and she spoke with a clear and commanding voice:

“Move aside. I want to visit this domain.”

The lion lowered its head, three pairs of golden eyes fixed on her. Allura could feel the beast’s warm breath on her face, but she didn’t pull back. Finally, the lion stepped aside and let her pass.

Allura crossed the field, the whispers of the deceased as her only company, until the mist lifted and she saw a hill that overlooked a river of dark waters. On top of the hill stood an ominous palace of black stone, surrounded by an orchard. When Allura got closer, she noticed a man sitting under a pomegranate tree. He looked up at her.

“You aren’t dead.” He said. “What are you doing here?”

“I found the entrance of a cave in the forest, and I wanted to explore the underground.”

“You should leave.” The man stood up, looming over her, his black robes waving around him. “The Underworld is no place for the living.”

Allura raised her head, looking right into his dark eyes, not intimidated at all by him.

“I like this place. I’m going to stay a bit longer.”

He arched an eyebrow, but when he saw that her resolve didn’t waver, he shrugged.

“Very well. But don’t eat anything that grows here, or you won’t be able to leave.”

He headed towards the palace, and Allura was left alone under the pomegranate tree.

* * *

 

Time seemed to pass differently in the Underworld than in the world of the living. With no days nor nights, just an eternal expanse of gloomy hours, it was hard to tell how long Allura had been there. Sometimes, she would go to the palace and find a bedroom to sleep in. The halls were always empty, but the rooms were clean and the beds were always made.

She knew that the palace was the home of Shiro, Lord of the Underworld, and she knew he was the man he met on her first day there, but she hadn’t seen him again. Until one day, when she was resting under a tree after a long walk around the realm of the dead. The huge three headed lion was laying at her side, purring loudly as Allura ran her fingers through its mane.

“Black likes you.” A voice said, and Allura looked up to see the Lord of the Underworld standing next to her. She shrugged.

“I’m good with animals.”

Shiro pouted.

“Black is supposed to guard the entrance of the Underworld, not laze around with pretty girls.”

“Oh, so you think I’m pretty?”

He blushed, deep crimson spreading through his cheeks, and she giggled. The lion seemed amused too, as all three heads let out a deep rumble. Shiro shot them a betrayed glare that only made Allura laugh harder. She patted the grey grass at her side.

“Come, sit with me.”

He hesitated before sitting down at her side. For a while, none of them said anything.

“Allura…” He muttered, and she felt a pleasurable shiver ran down her spine. It was the first time he said her name, and she liked the sound of it on his lips. “Don’t you miss your home? Your family?”

“Yes, I do.”

“Then why are you still here?”

“Do you want me to leave?”

“No.” He answered, a bit too quickly. He fiddled with a handful of grass. “But your family surely misses you, and I don’t wish to keep you away from them.”

Allura thought of her family, her father carrying her on his shoulders when she was a child; her mother dancing in the woods, flowers blossoming at her feet. And Coran, her father’s messenger, who always brought her some small gift when he came back from running errands. She missed them, and the sun and the stars above her head, but she didn’t want to leave either.

“I’ll go back to them, eventually. I just want to stay a bit longer.”

She rested her head on his shoulder. For a second, Shiro tensed, but then he wrapped an arm around her waist, leaning closer to her.

* * *

 

It became a routine for them to meet at the palace’s gardens. Sometimes they would walk together and talk for hours; sometimes they would sit under a tree, enjoying the comfortable silence between them. Often, Black would join them, sweet and playful like a kitten under Allura’s influence.

One day though, a message came from Altea. Rumour had it that the Lord of the Underworld kidnapped Princess Allura, and the God of Light demanded for his daughter to be returned home immediately.

Allura was furious. How could her father think she’d allow anyone to hold her against her will? If that were not enough, news from the surface claimed that her father refused to illuminate the world and her mother refused to let the crops flourish, until Allura came back to them. How dared they blackmail her like that? What right did they have to order her around?

“Well, they’re your parents. They’re worried about you:” Shiro pointed out after Allura was done ranting. She frowned.

“I’m not a child anymore! Father should know that I can take care of myself, and Mother taught me to be independent.”

Shiro wrapped his arms around her, holding her in a warm embrace that soothed her anger. They were standing under the pomegranate tree where they met, and the sweet smell of the ripe fruits filled the stagnant air of the Underworld. Shiro looked into her eyes and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

“You should go back.” He told her. His voice was soft, and his eyes, full of sorrow.

“I don’t want to leave you.”

“And I don’t want you to leave. But your family misses you.”

Allura bit her bottom lip. She missed them too. She stood on her tiptoes, and kissed Shiro, her full lips barely brushing his.

“I’ll be back.” She promised. Then she reached out and took a pomegranate from a low branch.

“Allura? What…?” She silenced him with a deeper kiss. When she stepped back, she was grinning.

“I’ll need some food for the journey.”

* * *

 

Six months later, Shiro was sitting under the same pomegranate tree, with Black napping at his side, when the lion raised its three heads and let out a pleased purr. Shiro stood up and smiled at the person approaching him.

That night, they shared soft kisses and whispered vows of love, and by the time the sun rose in the living world, Allura had become Queen of the Underworld.


End file.
